Lined Valence with Rod Pocket

I just had to make a valence to go along with the curtains and tie-backs I made for my baby girl's room. The curtains didn't look complete without it.

See how boring?

This is another lengthy, picture-heavy post. The sewing itself is not complicated--it's all straight seams--so I encourage you to give it a try, even if you're fairly new to sewing. Really, the only overwhelming thing is the amount of fabric you're working with, but don't let that scare you.

Decide how long you want your finished valence to be. I went with a finished length of about 18". The width measurement isn't very critical as this is a gathered valence. I wanted the valence to have more gather to it than the curtains, so I went with a finished width of 120" for my 48" window--or roughly two-and-a-half times the window width.

To keep things simple, I am pretending that you are making your valence out of one fabric, rather than using two, as I did. (If you want to use two fabrics, figure out how long you want the bottom piece to be, and then add only your hem measurement to that and add only the rod pocket and "frill" measurement to the top fabric).

First, we need to figure out our cutting measurements. The width is easy--120" plus seam allowance. Actually, I decided to piece together two rectangles, giving me a seam down the middle of my valence. It saved me a lot of yardage! I cut them each 61" long.

The height cutting measurement takes a little more math. Don't worry, I'll walk you through it.
Ready? Let's dive in!

Start with your desired finished height measurement--mine was 18". Add 4" for the hem, bringing your measurement to 22". Now, add the amount you need to create the pocket to fit your curtain rod, plus 1/2" for seam allowance; mine only needed 1" for the rod pocket, plus the 1/2" seam allowance, bringing my measurement to 23 1/2". I also wanted a little "frill" at the top, above the rod pocket. I went with 1 1/2" because I wanted it to be just slightly higher than the frill on my curtains, which I had made at 1". This brought me to an even 25" for my height cutting measurement.

Okay, almost there, we can do this!

Now for the lining. You want the lining to be 4" narrower than the curtain--in other words, instead of a 120" finished width, you want a 116" finished width. Again, I was piecing mine to save on yardage, so I went with two rectangles, which I cut at 58" each (2 inches shorter for each one, pieced together, takes 4 inches off the total measurement--with me?)

For the height measurement, we will again start with our desired finished measurement, which was 18". However, as I realized when sewing the curtains, you don't want the lining quite as long as the main fabric. Therefore, I went with a finished measurement of 17". Starting here, I added the amount needed for my hem. I didn't want my lining hem to be as deep as my valence hem, so I only added 2", bringing my measurement to 19". Then, I added the same 1" for the rod pocket plus 1/2" seam allowance, bringing me to 20 1/2". Finally, I added the same 1 1/2" "frill" allowance, for a cutting measurement of 23".

Phew!

Here's what we're left with:

Cut two rectangles of valence fabric, 61" x 25"
Cut two rectangles of lining fabric, 58" x 23"

Seriously, it's almost irritating to spend that much time on math for four pieces of fabric. But now the fun part can begin!

Sew the two valence rectangles together end-to-end with a 1/2" seam allowance, leaving you with one long skinny rectangle. Do the same for the lining pieces. (If you are making yours with a different color at the bottom, as I did with mine, attach it now.)

Taking the valence rectangle, press up 4" for your hem across the entire length.

Unfold. You should be able to see a nice straight crease all the way across.

Take the bottom edge and bring it up to the crease, leaving you with a 2" fold. Press.

Leaving this folded, fold again on original crease line, giving yourself a 2" doubled hem.

Pin along the edge.

Stitch as close to the pinned edge as possible.

What a beautiful hem!

Now you're going to repeat this same process for the lining hem, just using different measurements.

Fold up and press 2" of your lining hem.

Unfold so you can see the crease.

 Fold up 1", which will take your raw edge just to the crease. Press.

Leaving folded, fold again on original crease, giving yourself a 1" doubled hem.

Pin along edge.

Stitch as close to pinned edge as possible, leaving you with another professional-looking hem.

Now lay out your valence fabric, and then lay your lining fabric on top of it, right sides together. Line up the top and one edge. Now, getting 120" of fabric all lined up at this point may seem overwhelming. Just line up enough of the top to make sure everything is straight. You're only sewing the side right now, so that's the only critical part. Remember, your lining will be 1" shorter at the bottom, and that's a good thing. Pin the side edges together.

Stitch the edges together using a 1/2" seam allowance.

Now, still keeping the top lined up, line up the other ends and stitch them, as well. The fabric won't lay out smoothly at this point, because remember, your valence fabric is 4" wider than your lining fabric. As long as your ends and the top edges are lined up, you're good.

Once both sides are stitched together, flip the whole thing right-side out. Lining-side up, arrange the fabric until the amount of valence fabric peeking around the sides is about the same on both ends (roughly 1" showing on each end). Press, taking care to make sure your seam allowance goes the same direction for your entire seam. Serge or sew the top edges together.

Now, down at the hem on each side, you've got this weird unfinished piece of valence fabric sticking out. We're going to clean that up a little before moving on.

Tuck that raw edge under, forming a diagonal fold from the corner of the valence to the corner of the lining. Press.

Using a blindstitch, stitch this closed by hand.

Tie off and snip your threads.

Much better! Maybe no one will ever see it, but I feel better when even the hidden parts of my projects have a professional finish!

Going back to the top edge, where you just serged your fabric and lining together, press under 1/2" across the entire length of the valence.

Keeping that folded, fold and press an additional 2 1/2" (or whatever the measurement is for your rod pocket plus "frill"). This is where we are forming the rod pocket and "frill", and where all those extra measurements we took in the beginning come in.

Pin along the edge.

Stitch as close to the pinned edge as possible.

Measuring up 1" (or whatever your rod pocket measurement is) from this stitch line, run a second line of stitching.

Guess what? You're done! Go hang that puppy up and admire your work!

A valence can really complete the look of a window treatment!

Curtain Tie-Backs

I recently made curtains and a valence for the coming arrival of my baby girl. I decided to do the tutorials for the curtains, valence, and tie-backs in separate posts, because otherwise it was just too long! If you already have curtains and just need tie-backs, this is the post for you! No searching through 25 pictures of the curtain-making process. :)

You will just need a few scraps of fabric. A quarter of a yard is more than enough. You will also need some curtain rings, which can be purchased at any fabric store. They come in different sizes; I bought the half-inch ones.

First, cut 4 rectangles 21" by 4". This will give you a finished measurement of 20" by 3".

Fold each rectangle in half and round off the corners of the raw edges--make sure not to do this to your folded edge!

Open up the fabric. Right sides together, pin two of the pieces together all the way around.

Sew around the edges with a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave a small space (about 1 1/2"-2") open.

Trim around the edges so that you have a thin 1/4" or so seam allowance. Cut little V-shaped snips around the curves. You want the point of the V to be just at the stitching line--but take care not to cut through it! These clips will help the curve lay smoothly when you turn the tie-back right-side out.

Using that small opening you left in the stitching line, turn the tie-back right-side out. You may have to use a long, blunt object, like the back end of a knitting needle, to reach in and turn those curves all the way.

After turning, give the whole thing a quick press with the iron to help it lay nice and flat.

Topstitch as close to the edge as possible. This will also close the hole you left in the seam, so you don't have to stitch it closed by hand. Yay for less hand-sewing!

Now take one of the plastic rings and lay it on the end of the tie-back. Line it up so the edge of the ring comes just to the edge of the tie-back, but not past it. We don't want it peeking out once it's in use!
Stitch over it by hand just at one spot, as shown. Be careful to only catch one layer of fabric as you sew so that you don't see the stitching on the right side of the tie-back.

Stitch over it several times to reinforce, then tie off and snip your threads. Repeat on the other end of the tie-back. Be sure to put both rings on the same side (the back) of the tie-back!

You're done with the first one! Repeat the steps to make the second tie-back, and you are ready to put them to use!

You will need a small hook in the wall on each side of your window. I got mine at a hardware store, but most craft stores will have them, as well.

With the right side against the wall, put one end of the tie-back onto the hook. Run the free end behind and around the curtain, and then place it on the hook, as well.

And just like that, you are done! A cute, easy, and cheap way to hold back your curtains!

Transferring a Design to a Cake

This is one of my favorite methods for transferring a design to a cake. It is so simple; if you can trace a line, you can use this method! It is great for designs you do not want to freehand, like symbols, logos, or even characters.

For simplicity's sake, I decided to show you a design using only one color, but it works great for multi-colored designs, as well. Hubby loves Legend of Zelda, so this was the perfect design to put on a cake.

You will need parchment paper, piping gel, and decorator tips, as well as your icing. If you are new to cake decorating and these things sound foreign to you, scroll to the end of the post for some links to get you started.

Start with an iced cake. Make sure you used decorator icing, not the canned stuff. To create a smooth surface for decorating, smooth the icing as much as possible with an angled spatula, then let sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the icing to crust.

Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the cake.

Lay the parchment paper over the cake. Run your hands gently over the paper.

The warmth of your hands will warm the icing just enough to smooth out many of the little lines or dimples in the icing. The result will not be quite as smooth as fondant, but it will still be pretty smooth, and taste much better than fondant, too. :)

After smoothing for a few minutes, gently peel the parchment paper off the cake.

Again, this only works with decorator icing. If you try this with canned icing, you'll end up with a mess!

Look how smooth this cake is now!

Okay, now on to the fun stuff! You will need parchment paper, a print out of the design you want on your cake, some piping gel, and some cornstarch.

Lay a piece of the parchment paper on top of the design.

Using the piping gel, trace the outlines of your design. Don't worry if it's not perfect.

Continue until you have outlined your entire design.

Slide the design out from under the parchment paper, and you will be left with your design outlined on the parchment paper in piping gel.

Pick up the parchment paper and turn over, piping-gel-side down, on top of the cake. Make sure that you have placed it exactly where you want it, because once the paper is placed, you won't be able to move it.

Gently rub your hand over the paper, and then peel the paper off the cake.

Pretty cool, huh? You now have a perfect outline to follow as your draw your design.

Now you are going to need to fill a decorator bag with decorator icing in the color of your design. Use a small round tip on the bag; I used a size 4.

Trace over the piping gel with the icing. Take your time; this will be the outline that will show. It's not difficult, but it can be a little time-consuming. It's okay, the end result is worth it!

Continue until you have traced the whole design.

Now relax, you have completed the most difficult part!
Next, you are going to use a tight zigzag motion to fill in the outline.

Continue until the entire design is filled in.

You're almost done! It looks pretty cool at this point, but we're going to finish it off a little.

Let the icing crust for 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, put some cornstarch in a dish.

Dip the tip of your finger in the cornstarch, shaking off the excess. Use your cornstarched finger to rub out the zigzag lines from your design. Reapply cornstarch as necessary to keep your finger from sticking to the icing.

When you have smoothed out your entire design, you are officially finished with that part of your cake! Now just add a border or whatever else you want, and then show off your cake with your perfect design!

As promised, here are some links to get you started building up your cake decorating supplies:

This is a great beginner's set of cake decorating tools:



For a little more money, you can get the decorating caddy complete with all of the tools you need for Wilton Course 1. This is the set I personally have, although I have added a few individual items to my collection. But I love it!



I highly recommend the Wilton cake decorating classes, which are offered at many local craft stores. Click here to find classes in your area.

Decorator Icing Recipe

Just a quick post to share with you my favorite decorator icing recipe, along with a few helpful hints.

1 C solid vegetable shortening*
1 tsp clear vanilla extract
4 C sifted confectioners sugar
2 T water
1 1/2 tsp meringue powder**

*you can use 1/2 C vegetable shortening and 1/2 C butter, but results will not yield a pure white icing
**What is meringue powder, you ask? This stuff:

Why is it important? It will help your icing to "crust", which means it will set up and keep its shape. It also makes it easier to prevent and fix mistakes, because your icing will not smear as easily. I buy it at Michaels or Hobby Lobby, or order it from Amazon.



Cream shortening and vanilla together using an electric mixer set on the lowest speed. (On my KitchenAid, I use the "stir" setting). While a higher speed may give you a fluffier icing, it will pump a lot of air into your icing, as well. Air bubbles in icing are a cake decorator's enemy!

Add the sugar, water, and meringue powder. Mix on low speed, using a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Note: This recipe will yield a stiff decorator icing, perfect for roses or other stand-alone designs. Add water 1 T at a time to reach a medium or thin consistency. I find that about 3 T of water added to this recipe gives me the thin consistency I like for writing or thin piping.

To color your icing, make sure you use food coloring gels, like the kind pictured here:

You can also get these at Amazon:



Do not use regular food coloring! The gels are super concentrated, which means you use much less and they will not distort the consistency of your icing. Food coloring is watered down, therefore requiring more to get your desired color. Usually, by the time that color is achieved, your icing is much thinner than desired--a nightmare for trying to decorate cakes!

In using the gels, do remember that, as I mentioned, they are concentrated. It is usually a good idea to use a toothpick to add color until you get a better idea of how much it takes.

So there's your icing recipe; enjoy decorating all kinds of cakes, cupcakes, and cookies!